Major HRD Issues

Human resources development (HRD) has acquired a lot of attention lately as the contemporary highly competitive business world requires 100% productivity of the organisation and each member of the staff. There are a number of issues within the area of HRD which should be addressed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Major HRD Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it is possible to single out four major issues which need special attention. These issues are concerned with productivity, training, motivation and diversity of the workforce. Notably, these areas are interrelated, which should be taken into account by HR specialists. Large amount of literature on development of office workers’ skills can be found nowadays. As for development of workers of manufacturing organisations (e.g. textile industry), there is certain lack of consistent surveys and research (Ghazali Halib 2012). It is possible to c onsider the major HRD issues in terms of manufacturing companies to outline main areas to research. Executives, managers and researchers agree that productivity is one of the major issues of HRD (Sims 2007). It has been acknowledged that productivity should become a priority for workers to make a manufacturing company profitable (Ghazali Halib 2012). Admittedly, workers of a manufacturing company should be motivated to work harder. Each employee should strive for 100% productivity. York (2009) provides an example of the importance of each employee’s involvement into the development of the company’s productivity. Thus, one of the General Motor’s plants in California experienced various issues concerning productivity. In 1984, the company started: a joint venture with Toyota†¦ with a focus on teamwork between labor [sic] and management and a collective bargaining agreement that described the workers as professional partners committed to the New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. (York 2009, p. 273) This incentive proved to be effective as productivity of the new venture was 40 per cent more efficient than a typical productivity of a GM plant (York 2009). The workers were motivated to perform better as they understood that their productivity could be beneficial for them and the overall company. This is only one of many examples that justify the importance of workers’ productivity as well as importance of motivation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Workers involved in textile industry can also be motivated in the same way. Though, it is necessary to admit that such measures are quite drastic. As has been mentioned above setting proper standards will be beneficial for any manufacturing company. High quality of products is crucial for textile manufacturing companies. Workers should understand that only specific quality of prod ucts can be regarded as acceptable and such characteristics as speed, amount of the products produced cannot be primary. Notably, there are many strategies to develop productivity. As has been mentioned above, motivation is one of the most important factors to pay attention to. The example of GM plant represents one of ways to develop motivation. Apart from making workers’ ‘professional partners’, it is possible to exploit a variety of strategies. Ghazali and Halib (2012) consider effectiveness of a specific incentive implemented on one of Malaysian manufacturing companies. The major motivation strategy was financial reward, i.e. additional payment for enhanced productivity. Reportedly, this incentive had quite controversial effects. On the one hand, workers were motivated to work harder and produce more. However, such commitment was not very cost-effective as it led to various defects, equipment breakdown, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to note that motivation strategies need to be developed and improved to fit specific industries. It is important to exploit a variety of motivation incentives, which are not confined to extra payment. Workers can obtain extra days off. It is possible to grant permission to work flexible hours. Promotion is a very potent tool to motivate workers of manufacturing companies. Training is also a very effective incentive to motivate workers. It is important to understand potential of each worker and if there is a worker who is eager to perform other tasks, supervisors and eventually the company’s owners should give this person such an opportunity. When it comes to textile industry, some workers may be interested in developing their skills.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Major HRD Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, some may want to develop computer skills and some may have desire to be a designer. All these inclinations and abilities should be taken into account. These workers can become high-skilled professionals, which will be beneficial for the company (and overall industry). When it comes to a textile manufacturing company, it can be helpful to present products of the company to workers who perform well. This incentive can be regarded as a motivation incentive as workers’ performance is appreciated and they are praised. At the same time, this can positively affect products’ quality as workers will remember that the products they produce can become their reward. Admittedly, people tend to create better things for themselves than for other people. Nonetheless, motivation is not the only factor that affects productivity, especially when it comes to manufacturing companies. Training plays a very important role in enhancing productivity. Birdi et al. (2008) claim that extensive training, empowerment and development of teamwork skills positively affect productivity of manufacturing compani es. At that, development of training programs requires quite a lot of precision. In the first place, Bayat (2011) notes that it is important to reconsider performance evaluation as existing standards do not meet needs of the modern business environment. Evaluation of productivity should be thoughtful. Many executives are eager to set quite high productivity standards which are hardly achievable. This strategy is very tempting but it is ineffective and even harmful for a manufacturing company as it leads to lack of motivation in workers. It is also important to take into account physical and psychological abilities of employees. Supervisors should understand whether a worker can fulfil this or that task. It is important to train workers who will be able to benefit from the training obtained as sometimes all workers take certain courses but never use the knowledge and skills acquired (Werner DeSimone 2011). Admittedly, this is not cost-efficient.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When it comes to manufacturing companies, training should address specific group’s needs. Each worker’s performance and potential should be taken into account. It is necessary to add that development of proper training strategies is one of the most serious issues in the contemporary business world. HRD professionals should work out incentives and programs that could address specific issues existing in a particular company. Productivity depends on effectiveness of these programs. Finally, training will positively affect industrial safety as workers should be aware of all standards, requirements and useful strategies. Sometimes it is believed that only large companies can benefit from training. However, a number of surveys show that small companies can also benefit from training and other HRD strategies (Grigore 2008). Many people deem that only big companies can afford proper training. Besides, owners of small companies often think training is costly and will not be rep aid. However, many researchers provide data which suggest that small companies benefit from training and HR development. Owners of small manufacturing companies often fail to understand that training can be regarded as one of strategies aimed at development of motivation. Workers will be motivated to improve their skills and develop new ones to increase their productivity, which, in its turn, will lead to financial reward. Another main issue to be considered is diversity at workplace. It is believed that diversity is a topic that has already been covered and there is no need in considering it. However, there is significant gap in literature on the mater (Curtis Dreachslin 2008). The contemporary workplace is highly diverse in terms of age, gender and ethnicity. All these differences can interfere with productivity of each employee and the overall company. Therefore, it is crucial to pay a lot of attention to this issue. Notably, diversity training has become quite popular lately an d many companies resort to a variety of strategies to raise diversity awareness among their employees (Werner DeSimone 2011). Sims (2007, p. 245) stresses that now the â€Å"diversity challenge centers [sic] not much on employees and customers but on management itself†. The researcher also notes that diversity awareness plays important role in teamwork development. It is important to note that some people think the best way out to address issues associated with diversity is to diminish it. Of course, this approach is ineffective due to, at least, two factors. First, it is hardly possible to diminish level of diversity in the contemporary world where governments ensure equality and diversity (Idowu 2012). Secondly, empowerment of women, globalisation, population aging contribute to high level of diversity at workplace. Thus, changing gender roles result in increasing number of women occupying different positions. The number of women in top management and among manufacturing c ompanies workers is steadily increasing. This contributes to high level of gender diversity. Globalisation is associated with people’s migration, which results in ethnical and cultural diversity at workplace. This is especially true for manufacturing companies where a lot of low-skilled people of different ethnicities are occupied. Population aging leads to quite a significant gap between generations at workplace, which leads to age diversity. Obviously, diversity can hardly be diminished. It is also necessary to note that researchers still argue about the role diversity plays. Some state that diversity positively affects companies’ productivity as people of different backgrounds have extensive experience they share to develop the company (Henry Evans 2007). At the same time, some researchers claim that diversity negatively affects employee’s performance as it leads to miscomprehension, misunderstanding and a variety of conflict situations (Jayne Dipboye 2004) . Both viewpoints have the right to exist as diversity can be beneficial for a company, but it can also lead to numerous issues if no diversity training is provided. Therefore, it is essential to raise diversity awareness among employees. When it comes to manufacturing companies, each employee should be involved in this training. There are numerous strategies to develop diversity awareness these days (Curtis Dreachslin 2008). Though major focus is made on such categories as students, top management, salespeople and healthcare professionals, researchers have developed certain strategies for workers of manufacturing companies as well. First, diversity training should address specific aims. It is necessary to start with particular issues and conflicts existing at workplace. Team building activities should also be a part of this training, or rather teamwork development and diversity awareness training should be incorporated into a single training strategy (Sims 2007). Sometimes languag e courses can be beneficial for workers as nowadays many people of different ethnicities work in manufacturing companies. As far as textile industry is concerned, diversity (especially cultural diversity) is a serious issue which should be addressed. Manufacturing companies often employ low-skilled workers who often have different cultural backgrounds. Apart from different ethnicities, workers of textile manufacturing companies are of different age and gender. Different ages and genders often lead to certain conflicts among workers. Supervisors as well as workers should have the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to solve various problems and avoid conflict situations. Ability to work in teams depends on workers’ ability to cope with issues associated with diversity. In conclusion, it is possible to note that companies need to address a variety of issues in the contemporary highly competitive business world. Human resources development should be one of the priorities f or any company. HR specialists should pay special attention to the following: productivity, motivation, training and diversity. These fields need special attention as they significantly affect profitability of the company. It is also important to note that these areas are interconnected and interdependent so they should be treated accordingly. It is important to develop training strategies that could address all of the following aspects: productivity, motivation and diversity. When it comes to textile manufacturing companies, HR specialists should pay special attention to motivation and diversity as these are key factors for this industry. Notably, there are quite many gaps in research and even such serious issues as productivity, motivation, training and diversity are under-developed. There is need in specific strategies and techniques which could be applicable in particular industries and settings. Of course, every HR specialist should also be ready to introduce effective techniqu es to enhance profitability of the company. Reference List Bayat, RF 2011, ‘Impact on the productivity of human resources management, performance evaluation’, Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 5.12, pp. 1629-1635. Birdi, K, Clegg, C, Patterson, M, Robinson, A, Stride, CB, Wall, TD, Wood, SJ 2008, ‘The impact of human resource and operational management practices on company productivity: a longitudinal study’, Personnel Psychology 61.1, pp. 467-501. Curtis, EF Dreachslin, JL 2008, ‘Diversity management interventions and organizational performance: a synthesis of current literature’, Human Resource Development Review 7.1, pp. 107-134. Ghazali, Z Halib, M 2012, ‘Productivity-based group incentive scheme: a human resource strategy for competitive advantage in a Malaysian manufacturing company’, European Journal of Social Sciences 28.1, pp. 101-108. Grigore, AM 2008, ‘The impact of human resources practices upon s mall companies performances’, Buletinul LX.2/2008, pp. 83-92. Henry, O Evans, AJ 2007, ‘Critical review of literature on workforce diversity’, African Journal of Business Management, pp. 72-76. Idowu, OF 2012, ‘Human resource diversity and organizational outcomes: managing differences or organizational culture’, Australian Journal of Business and Management Research 1.12, pp. 1-6. Jayne, MEA Dipboye, RL 2004, ‘Leveraging diversity to improve business performance: research findings and recommendations for organizations’, Human Resource Management 43.4, pp. 409-424. Sims, RR 2007, Human resource management: contemporary issues, challenges, and opportunities, IAP, USA. Werner, JM DeSimone, RL 2011, Human resource development, Cengage Learning, Mason, OH. York, KM 2009, Applied human resource management: strategic issues and experiential exercises, Sage Publications, Inc., London. This essay on Major HRD Issues was written and submitted by user Lilandra to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Ra essays

Ra essays R was the centerpiece of the ancient Egyptian culture. Like other ancient cultures the Egyptians had a primary god who was believed to have created the universe and all its beings. This belief structured their entire religious and political doctrine. With this dogma their culture was unified and successful. The belief in the Sun god began by a small cult in the city Helioplis, a few miles north of Cairo. The ideology of R explains to its followers the phenomena of nature and creation. Soon the belief became popular and spread over Egypt. R was known or represented as many things. In human form R was called Atum. Atum wore a double crown, one red crown for lower Eygpt and the other a white crown for Upper Egypt, showing his unification of rule. R is also known as the sacred beetle Khepra. They associated the beetle with R because they saw it come from the ground and it was believed that they were self created. Other depictions of R show him as a man with the head of a falcon with a solar disc toped with a cobra. All different versions of R united the same myth, which governed all Egypt. The myth of R starts with the morning. He is supposed to rise from the mountains and sail across the sky in his boat of a million years. Some believed that R was born anew at sunrise and aged as the day progressed. At midday he was a hero and at sunset an old man. He had two boats; the first was Manjet, the boat that sailed crossed the day, and Mesektet, the boat that sailed him through the underworld. Other gods where have said to travel with him on his voyages. Before R begat other gods he existed alone in a watery mass of Nun which filled up the universe. He had sexual union with him self and bore Shu, the god of the air and Tefnut, the goddess of moister. Shu and Tefnut then produced Geb, the god of earth, and Nut, the goddess of the sky. Geb and Nut produced Osir...

Francisco de Orellana, Discoverer of the Amazon River

Francisco de Orellana, Discoverer of the Amazon River Francisco de Orellana (1511–November 1546) was a Spanish conquistador, colonist, and explorer. He joined Gonzalo Pizarros 1541 expedition that set out from Quito headed east, hoping to find the mythical city of El Dorado. Along the way, Orellana and Pizarro were separated. While Pizarro returned to Quito, Orellana and a handful of men continued traveling downriver, eventually discovering the Amazon River and making their way to the Atlantic Ocean. Today, Orellana is best remembered for this journey of exploration. Fast Facts: Francisco de Orellana Known For: Spanish conquistador who discovered the Amazon RiverBorn: 1511 in Trujillo,  Crown of CastileDied: November 1546 in the Delta of the  Amazon River (Today  Par  and  Amap, Brazil)Spouse: Ana de Ayala Early Life Francisco de Orellana was born in Extremadura sometime around 1511. Its reported that he had a close relationship with Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, although the exact relationship is not entirely clear. They were close enough, however, that Orellana could use the connection to his advantage. Joining Pizarro Orellana came to the New World while still a young man and met with Pizarros 1832 expedition to Peru, where he was among the Spaniards who overthrew the mighty Inca Empire. He showed a knack for supporting the winning sides in the Civil Wars among the conquistadors that ripped the region apart in the late 1530s. He lost an eye in the fighting but was richly rewarded with lands in present-day Ecuador. Gonzalo Pizarro’s Expedition Spanish conquistadors had discovered unimaginable wealth in Mexico and Peru and were constantly on the lookout for the next rich native Empire to attack and rob. Gonzalo Pizarro, Franciscos brother, was one man who believed in the legend of El Dorado, a wealthy city governed by a king who painted his body in gold dust. In 1540, Gonzalo began outfitting an expedition that would set out from Quito and head east in the hopes of locating El Dorado or any other rich native civilization. Gonzalo borrowed a princely sum of money to outfit the expedition, which left in February of 1541. Francisco de Orellana joined the expedition and was considered high-ranking among the conquistadors. Pizarro and Orellana Separate The expedition did not find much in the way of gold or silver. Instead, it encountered angry natives, hunger, insects, and flooded rivers. The conquistadors slogged around the dense South American jungle for several months, their condition worsening. In December of 1541, the men were camped out alongside a mighty river, their provisions loaded onto a makeshift raft. Pizarro decided to send Orellana ahead to scout the terrain and find some food. His orders were to return as soon as he could. Orellana set out with about 50 men and departed on December 26. Orellana’s Journey A few days downriver, Orellana and his men found some food at a native village. According to documents that Orellana kept, he wished to return to Pizarro, but his men agreed that returning upriver would be too hard and threatened to mutiny if Orellana made them, preferring instead to continue downriver. Orellana did send three volunteers back to Pizarro to inform him of his actions. They set forth from the confluence of the Coca and Napo Rivers and began their trek. On February 11, 1542, the Napo emptied into a larger River: the Amazon. Their voyage would last until they reached the Spanish-held Island of Cubagua, off the coast of Venezuela, in September. Along the way, they suffered from Indian attacks, hunger, malnutrition, and illnesses. Pizarro would eventually return to Quito, his troop of colonists decimated. The Amazons The Amazons- a fearsome race of warrior women- had been legendary in Europe for centuries. The conquistadors, who had become used to seeing new, marvelous things on a regular basis, often looked for legendary people and places (such as Juan Ponce de Leà ³ns fabled search for the Fountain of Youth). The Orellana expedition convinced itself that it had found the fabled Kingdom of the Amazons. Native sources, highly motivated to tell the Spaniards what they wanted to hear, told of a great, wealthy kingdom ruled by women with vassal states along the river. During one skirmish, the Spanish even saw women fighting: they assumed these were the legendary Amazons who had come to fight alongside their vassals. Friar Gaspar de Carvajal, whose first-hand account of the journey has survived, described them as near-naked white women who fought fiercely. Return to Spain Orellana returned to Spain in May 1543, where he was not surprised to find that an angry Gonzalo Pizarro had denounced him as a traitor. He was able to defend himself against the charges, in part because he had asked the would-be mutineers to sign documents to the effect that they did not allow him to return upstream to aid Pizarro. On February 13, 1544, Orellana was named governor of â€Å"New Andalucia,† which included much of the region he had explored. His charter allowed him to explore the area, conquer any bellicose natives, and establish settlements along the Amazon River. Return to the Amazon Orellana was now an adelantado, sort of a cross between an administrator and a conquistador. With his charter in hand, he went looking for funding but found it difficult to lure investors to his cause. His expedition was a fiasco from the start. More than a year after gaining his charter, Orellana set sail for the Amazon on May 11, 1545. He had four ships carrying hundreds of settlers, but provisions were poor. He stopped in the Canary Islands to refit the ships but wound up staying there for three months as he sorted out various problems. When they finally set sail, rough weather caused one of his ships to be lost. He reached the mouth of the Amazon in December and began his plans for settlement. Death Orellana began exploring the Amazon, looking for a likely place to settle. Meanwhile, hunger, thirst, and native attacks weakened his force constantly. Some of his men even abandoned the enterprise while Orellana was exploring. Sometime in late 1546, Orellana was scouting an area with some of his remaining men when they were attacked by natives. Many of his men were killed: according to Orellana’s widow, he died of illness and grief shortly after that. Legacy Orellana is best remembered today as an explorer, but that was never his goal. He was a conquistador who accidentally became an explorer when he and his men were carried off by the mighty Amazon River. His motives were not very pure, either: he never intended to be a trailblazing explorer. Rather, he was a veteran of the bloody conquest of the Inca Empire whose considerable rewards were not enough for his greedy soul. He wished to find and loot the legendary city of El Dorado in order to become even wealthier. He died still seeking a wealthy kingdom to plunder. Still, there is no doubt that he led the first expedition to travel the Amazon River from its roots in the Andean mountains to its release into the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, he proved himself as shrewd, tough, and opportunistic, but also cruel and ruthless. For a time, historians deplored his failure to return to Pizarro, but it seems that he had no choice in the matter. Today, Orellana is remembered for his journey of exploration and little else. He is most famous in Ecuador, which is proud of its role in history as the place from which the famed expedition departed. There are streets, schools, and even a province named after him. Sources Ayala Mora, Enrique, ed. Manual de Historia del Ecuador I: Epocas Aborigen y Colonial, Independencia. Quito: Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar, 2008.Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. â€Å"Francisco De Orellana.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 13 Feb. 2014.Silverberg, Robert. The Golde. Dream: Seekers of El Dorado. Athens: the Ohio University Press, 1985.

Capstone Experience (SWOT Analysis and Strategic Scorecard) Clairol Assignment

Capstone Experience (SWOT Analysis and Strategic Scorecard) Clairol Company 1 - Assignment Example According to Doyle and Bridgewater (2010), the main focus on the confectionery gives them an upper hand in understanding the consumers in the various segments better. The achievement of various acquisitions gave it the opportunity to expand into other markets like Vietnam (Doyle and Bridgewater 2010). P&G has less exposure in the other markets and therefore it will faces difficulty in understanding the new emerging markets compared to its competitors. The release of a high number of brands at the same time also makes it hard for the management to concentrate on the performance of a particular brand within the market. There are new markets with great opportunities that exist and expand into the emerging markets such as India where the population is on the rise. There is an increase of consumer wealth and an increase in the demand for confectionery products thus an increase in the amount of profits (Doyle and Bridgewater, 2012). The markets the company operates have a high rate of acquisitions and merger currently, and there are opportunities that exist to raise market share by means of planned purchases. This will also boost the level of profits at P & G. Increase in the level of efficiency and reduction of costs is the main route to survival within the FMCG market. P & G’s plan towards cost efficiency leads to saving of costs through moving production to countries that have cheaper raw materials and reduce the internal costs The large quantities of goods that need proper storage and management are high in number, but there have been inadequate methods of handling the goods. Thus, some end up getting spoilt in the process resulting to a big loss to the organization since the products will not reach the end users (Percy and Giles, 2007). This paper, therefore, looks into the warehousing process. The demand for the products within the cost environment has increased. This is an

DWI (The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business) Essay

DWI (The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business) - Essay Example The telecom service providers(1) would have been able to collect more money and reduce their losses if it would have been possible for them to know that which customer would pay the bills and which customer is going to ditch them. Therefore one of the basic needs of risk management is to study the attitude of the customers. Once the company knows as to how a customer behaves with his billing issue, it would be very clear as to how he would behave further. It has been observed that the telecom providers who use transaction -based risk management are able to focus their attention on the riskiest accounts thus assigning the appropriate treatment to all the calls that is required. An advanced risk management technique has been devised which includes the following features: There should be an analysis of the complete set of data about the customer, the billing and the behavioral data. This will include all details about the calls and also the payment history and the customer service interactions. As regarding the private and public law implications in this situation, it is advisable that first both the terms should be made very clear. The private law is that part of the system of law which includes in it the relationship between the individuals only like the law of contract or tort etc.

E-Books Should Not Replace Conventional Books Essay Example for Free

E-Books Should Not Replace Conventional Books Essay Books have been around for centuries. Technology has greatly impacted the society thus leading to inventions such as E-books. E-books should not replace conventional books mainly because, with books, there is never a need for upgrade in software unlike an E-book. Secondly conventional books are more user friendly for kids and older adults, and are cost effective. And finally if E-books were to replace conventional books this would mean the end of one of the world’s oldest institutions, libraries. Times are changing and Kindles appeal to the modern citizen, we dont want to carry around cumbersome books, we want to be able to read when we want, whatever we want. Not having to order and wait for a book, or go to a bookstore, is incredibly convenient and means particularly that children can get their books immediately, ensuring that when they feel like reading, parents can ensure that they are able to. But, what can compare to the smell of a paperback, or the feel an old book with browned pages? The kindle is as replaceable as any technology, a book you have on your kindle won’t be there ten years from now, because the kindle won’t be there, however, a tangible real book that you’ve treasured and kept safe since childhood will. Not to mention there is never a need for an upgrade in software or updates on a traditional book unlike an E-book. Secondly, books are without a shadow of a doubt cost effective and are more user friendly for children and older adults in that which it is much easier to operate. Conventional books don’t need to be charged and is affordable for one and all; unlike an E-book that needs to be charged and is very expensive. While some may argue that E-books are eco-friendly and saves millions of trees, it is still nothing compared to physical books which satisfy a tactile need in us that e-readers cant stimulate. The scent, the feel, the weight of a book in the hand is a true comfort. Statistics showed that the US giant Borders was forced t close its 600 stores recently, physical book sales having declined so sharply, whilst Amazon’s sales of Kindles and E-books continue to thrive. How do you browse the shelves of a virtual book store? Not everyone enters a bookstore to specifically purchase book X and then leave the easy browsing and discovery of titles that you wouldnt otherwise consider has not been replicated online. Can you throw a kindle in the bottom of your bag and take it to the beach? And not care if you drop it in the sand? So the statistics suggest anyway; the US giant Borders was forced to close its 600 stores recently, physical book sales having declined so sharply, whilst Amazon’s sales of Kindles and E-books continue to thrive. Where to for the future of the physical book If Im reading a book and I am incredibly enticed and the page is about to end, I want that feeling of paper between my fingers, waiting to finish this first half of the sentence and find out what happens next. An ebook is just a button or a finger sliding on a cold glass surface. And along with the two reasons above, there is the reason that you NEVER own the ebook youre only licensed it. You can only read it on that device, you cant share it with your friends or family. They have to buy it themselves. The only way I could think of is by letting that person borrow said device. With an actual physical book, I can SHARE it to my friends and family. I can let them BORROW it. I have the comfort that I OWN the book and am not licensed it.

The Work of Cot and Renoir :: essays research papers

The nineteenth century produced a great number of art works from such artists as Pierre August Cot and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Two major themes in these works include images fabricated from the real world and mirror images of everyday situations in life. Cot produced a pair of star struck lovers sharing a moment together in a hidden dugout enclosed by trees and shrubs while Renior recreated a midsummer’s day with a family enjoying an outing downtown. Each of these painting possesses an iconography in which the artist has contrived within his mind as the main theme to his work. This image is not intended to influence the viewer’s individual observation, but to embellish the work’s particular symbolism. Cot was a wonderfully gifted painter who applied remarkable use of proportional status when creating a two-dimensional painting. The only disadvantage about Cot is that his name is not well known. When this occurs, an artist and his work lack the media voice it needs to posses in order to advance among the inflections of those who do the observing. Therefore personal information is difficult to come across. His work can be classified under representational art. This form of art uses natural images that look very much like images in the natural world. His portfolio of artwork has not received the noteworthy recognition it so deserves. The Storm, created in 1880, is his only painting to have received praise from the world of art. To showcase another masterpiece completed by Cot, I chose to compare and contrast the composition of Le Printemps . This was also created in the same era and was influenced by images fabricated from the real world. The composition of this painting is quite complete; it includes actual lines, organic shapes, and the illusion of light.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Le Printemps grants the subconscious mind to drift into a fantasy-like state and the illusion of mortality merges with the illusion of realism. Cot portrays the young couple on a swing as his major element. The entire picture is based upon this element and with actual lines, the ropes of the swing and the immediate surrounding environment are defined as background major elements. Two large ropes are attached to a small wooden plank, containing the man and woman. Indentations can be seen where the man is holding on and the illusion of movement is understood. For the environmental elements, the large tree symbolizes the relationship it has with the swing as well as the direction in which the couple is swaying.

Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” Essay

The story of Heathcliff, the sadistic protagonist of Emily Bronte’s â€Å"Wuthering Heights† is so upset that Edgar Linton does not want his lovely daughter, Cathy, to hear it. Heathcliff and Cathy, two prominent characters in the novel, interact in the second half of the novel. Heathcliff’s passages reveal that the tortured character comes about from a childhood without the care of parents (33) while Cathy’s goodness (164) reflects her being raised by a loving father. The different supervision each character experienced while growing up is reflected by their behavior, showing that nurture is a greater factor over one’s personality than nature. Beginning her description of Heathcliff with the lowly word â€Å"degradation†, Nelly, the narrator, tells Lockwood how Heathcliff and Catherine (the mother of Cathy) grow more reckless daily without parental guidance. Nelly recalls these events right before Catherine is injured and stays at Thrushcross Grange for five weeks. Nelly also said that Heathcliff and Catherine â€Å"promised†¦ to grow up rude as savages.† The punishments the two received from Joseph and the Curate, Nelly notes, haven’t helped her increase the â€Å"small power† she holds over the two, due to the lack of parental guidance. It is also important to note some of the foreshadowing that occurs here: Heathcliff’s return alone in the rain foreshadows his demise. His lack of respect for the church also symbolizes his lack of will and later on immense greediness. Bronte’s genius shines throughout this passage, mixing savagery, love, symbolism, and foreshadowing all in o ne page. Nelly’s description of Cathy is spoken on a very positive note, including many of the same devices seen in Heathcliff’s passage. She says that Cathy has not seen or even heard of any bad deeds except for her â€Å"slight acts of disobedience†, and that Cathy is â€Å"amazed at the blackness of spirit† of Heathcliff. Nelly describes Cathy as a sheltered, gentle, book-loving young daughter of Edgar. In addition, Cathy is said to be extremely well mannered within this section. Edgar tries to protect his daughter from having to know about an evil soul such as Heathcliff, attempting to prevent the malicious outside force from corrupting her personality. The passage even contains Cathy crying over the miseries of someone she has only met twice so far. She also has a pretty convincing argument as to why she should meet Linton  again, foreshadowing her disobedience of her father by going to meet Linton, her only companion outside of Thrushcross Grange. This disobedience will be the main factor in her future encounters with Heathcliff. Cathy’s extreme kindness and Heathcliff’s great roughness contrast very well. Heathcliff’s description shows him as a wild, undisciplined being. Cathy, on the other hand, is portrayed as a very nice, helpful daughter and a devoted friend to Linton. Heathcliff’s lack of education (Catherine being his only educator) also differs from Cathy’s â€Å"lessons for a couple of hours† that she has. Heathcliff’s vow to â€Å"grow up as rude [as a savage]† is far from Cathy’s melancholy over not being able to meet Linton again. There is not much that is similar between the two characters, due to both of them being on opposite ends of the spectrum. This lack of similarities is what makes these two characters interesting to follow throughout the novel. The language in these passages is quite interesting. Nelly uses much harsher language in the passage with Heathcliff than the passage with Cathy, representing the behavior of the two characters. The paces of the narratives also differs, with Heathcliff’s being a more intense rate than Cathy’s, also due to their contrasting actions. Another interesting thing to note is the use of the word naughty. Both passages employ this word, showing a mild form of being disobedient, which cannot be explained by any other means other than just saying that the both have the same author and narrator: Emily Bronte and Nelly Dean, respectively. Also, as seen throughout the book, an unusal amount of referrals to doors are present, most likely to show frames within the framed narrative. Studying these two passages against each other brings one to a deeper meaning than reading each one separately. Nelly’s descriptions of Heathcliff and Cathy shows that nurture predominates over nature. Cathy, the mix between the peaceful Edgar Linton and the wild Catherine Earnshaw, shows only her positive traits, due to the fact that she was brought up by Edgar alone. Heathcliff, an orphan brought home by Mr. Earnshaw, has had his good qualities disappear through a process which Nelly calls â€Å"degradation;† because he was raised up with Hindley, who constantly thought of Heathcliff as an â€Å"other.† These two characters are so  dramatically different, even though they were both blessed with good looks and intelligence. One might argue, however, that because Bronte does not give the origins of Heathcliff, he might be born of a family with a tendency to be selfish and greedy. This idea can be countered, though, because Heathcliff was said to have â€Å"bore his degradation pretty well at first†, a quality that not many natural tyrants can boast of. Also, the fact that Cathy is the daughter of Catherine and yet shows few of the violent characteristics of her mother tells us that genes play no, or very little, role in how she behaves.

Swisher Mower and Machine Company (Smc)

RECOMMENDATION: Swisher Mower and Machine Company should reject the offer to produce the Private-Label brand. RATIONALE: †¢Standard Riding Mower contribution per unit would drop from $97 to $33. 98, which is $63. 02 per mower. (Appendix 4) †¢Contribution Margin would drop from 14. 92% to 5. 5%, which is 9. 42%. (Appendix 4) †¢Swisher Mower would only profit $62,819 from producing the 8,200 units in the Private-Label in the first full year of production. (Appendix 5) oProfit per mower is only $7. 66 per unit. Cannibalization of SMC current mower is ($29,000) loss from the private-label brand. Plus, the loss of additional smaller independent dealer in the future since there will be an overlap in trade areas. (Appendix 3) †¢SMC will incur additional labor cost on 2,450 units because the factory is already at full capacity. oThis results in additional $63,700 overtime labor cost, which is $7. 77 per unit. (Appendix 1) †¢With the increase in labor, materials, over head, and property tax, the additional variable cost is $30. 52 per unit. Appendix 1) oThis brings the total variable cost to $583. 52. (Appendix 4) †¢SMC will only be making $7. 66 per mower, and the company wants them to pay $22 per hour for any maintenance on a mower under warranty. Therefore SMC would have to sell 3 additional mowers to cover each hour work done to a mower under warranty. †¢The accounts receivable and inventory carrying cost for the private-label brand is $175,789. 97, $59,386. 73 and $116,412. 24 respectively. (Appendix 2) †¢The image of company would be altered since SMC would double their sales with one private-label product. Since the company has a reputation of being small and personal introducing the private-label could be detrimental to their current business. †¢Remain status quo and on average increase profit by 10% and continue to widen the breathe of the product lines, Trim-Max. APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Incremental Cost for Private Label Direct Labor Cost $650 x 4% = $26 Additional Labor for 2,450 units = 2,450 x $26 = $63,700 / 8,200 units = $7. 77 per Unit Direct Materials Cost $650 x 1% = $6. 50 Additional Overhead $650 x 1% = $6. 50 Additional Property Tax $650 x 1. % = $9. 75 Total Additional Var. Cost = $7. 77 + $6. 50 + $6. 50 + $9. 75 = $30. 52 APPENDIX 2 Carrying Cost for Private Label Accounts Receivable A/R Turnover Rate = 365 / 45 = 8. 1 8,200 units x $617. 50 = $5,063,500 / 8. 1 = 625,123. 46 x 9. 5% = $59,386. 73 Inventory Inv. Turnover Rate = 5. 8 Average Inv. = 2,100 units Unit Cost = $583. 52 2,100 units x $583. 52 = $1,225,392 x 9. 5% = $116,412. 24 Total Carrying Cost = A/R + I nv. = $175,798. 97 APPENDIX 3 Cannibalization SMC mower = $650 – $553 = $97 Contribution Per Unit Units Lost = 300 $97 x 300 = ($29,100)

9 Resume Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb by Lauren Gartner

9 Resume Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb 9 Resume Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb What is a resume? It is not something you send out that lists your job experience and your educational background, in the hopes that someone will read it and think you might be good for an interview. A resume is a marketing tool, and you have to get into the â€Å"feel† of marketing if you are going to sell yourself on a piece of paper. Resume Designs and Formats Resume designs have changed, and you can change your design based upon the type of organization to which you are applying – conservative, moderate, fairly progressive, and â€Å"out there.† These are things you can learn about anywhere. The other thing about resumes today is that you can format your background information in several different ways – you don’t have to go with the standard chronological order necessarily. Again, you can find examples of all types of formats online, and really good recommendations about which to use dependent upon your circumstances and the organizations to which you are applying. Dumb Mistakes You may have the greatest, most-eye-catching design and the perfect format fit for a position opening, but if you make any of these dumb mistakes, your work will find its next home in â€Å"resume heaven.† Putting an Objective at the Top of Your Resume Objectives are meaningless because they do not speak to what you can offer the organization; they only speak to what you want. A potential employer doesn’t care about what you want. S/he wants someone who can be a problem-solver for the organization. If you must have a headline, and those are good to have sometimes, make it about the specific position and what you can bring to that position. Long Prose and Sentences Think about it. When you want to read something quickly, what do you want to see? You want to see short sentences and phrases, bullet points, and really important stuff in bold or underlined. A reviewer of our resume is no different. Fast-track your accomplishments with action verbs, phrases, and bullets. Linking to All of Your Social Media Accounts Who cares if you are on Facebook – so is half the human race. If a potential employer wants to access your page, s/he will. Now, if you have a really great LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio, then that is quite another story. Definitely, link to those. Grammatical Errors and Typos Your college professors didn’t like grammar mistakes, and resume reviewers don’t either. You look either really lazy or compositionally challenged. You don’t want to â€Å"look† either. So, check your resume a bunch of times for any English mistakes and have somebody else check it too. Lying You certainly want to paint yourself as someone who has accomplished a lot, especially in those specific areas included in the job posting. But overstating your accomplishments, exaggerating your educational performance, stating you resigned when you were terminated – these things have a way of catching up, especially when background checks, references, and online research can reveal so much. If you don’t want to say you were fired, don’t. You can talk about the circumstances during the interview if you are asked. Too Long Less is really more when it comes to resumes. Be concise, and brief. When you speak to accomplishments, stop with the laundry lists. Include those that directly relate to the position you are seeking. If there isn’t a really good fit, then list the most significant ones. There will be time to speak to the others during an interview if they become relevant. Good rule of thumb: If you don’t have a lot of employment experience, one page is the max; if you are a more seasoned professional with several positions and/or a number of years of employment, two pages should be the max. Same Words Over and Over How many times can you say â€Å"developed,† or â€Å"organized,† or â€Å"lead,† or â€Å"produced?† In a resume, the answer is many! Find some synonyms for words that you are using over and over again – maybe some that â€Å"pop† or add some â€Å"sparkle.† Using Passive Voice You want to give the impression that you take action; you do that with action verbs. All accomplishments that you list should begin with an action verb (not the word â€Å"I† either). â€Å"Increased sales by 15% over a period of one quarter;† â€Å"Created new marketing strategies which increased conversions by 46%.† Now you’re an action figure! Failure to Customize If you don’t customize your resume for each position, using keywords that will be picked up by automated screening tools, then you won’t look dumb to someone reviewing your resume. Your resume will never make it to that someone at all. Any reader can pick out generic resumes – they are vague and do not speak to specifics of the position s/he has available – deleted! Use the information available to you regarding design and format. Then go through this list and make sure that you are not committing the fatal errors that will kill your chances for an interview.

Advertising and Marketing Research

[2] Market Research is the key factor to get advantage over competitors. Market research provides important information to identify and analyze the market need, market size and competition. Market research,as defined by the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research, includes social and opinion research, [and] is the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals or organizations using statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support decision making. [3] Market Research is a systematic, objective collection and analysis of data about a particular target market, competition, and/or environment. It always incorporates some form of data collection whether it be secondary research (often referred to as desk research) or primary research which is collected direct from a respondent. The purpose of any market research project is to achieve an increased understanding of the subject matter. With markets throughout the world becoming increasingly more competitive, market research is now on the agenda of many organisations, whether they be large or small. The Market Research Process To conduct market research, organisations may decide to undertake the project themselves (some through a marketing research department) or they might choose to commission it via a market research agency or consultancy. Whichever, before undertaking any research project, it is crucial to define the research objectives i. e. what are you trying to achieve from the research? and what do you need to know? After considering the objectives, Market Researchers can utilise many types of research techniques and methodologies to capture the data that they require. All of the available methodologies either collect quantitative or qualitative information. The use of each very much depends on the research objectives but many believe that results are most useful when the two methods are combined. Quantitative Research Quantitative research is numerically oriented, requires significant attention to the measurement of market phenomena and often involves statistical analysis. For example, a bank might ask its customers to rate its overall service as either excellent, good, poor or very poor. This will provide quantitative information that can be analysed statistically. The main rule with quantitative research is that every respondent is asked the same series of questions. The approach is very structured and normally involves large numbers of interviews/questionnaires. Perhaps the most common quantitative technique is the ‘market research survey’. These are basically projects that involve the collection of data from multiple cases – such as consumers or a set of products. Quantitative surveys can be conducted by using post (self-completion), face-to-face (in-street or in-home), telephone, email or web techniques. The questionnaire is one of the more common tools for collecting data from a survey, but it is only one of a wide ranging set of data collection aids. Qualitative Research Qualitative research provides an understanding of how or why things are as they are. For example, a Market Researcher may stop a consumer who has purchased a particular type of bread and ask him or her why that type of bread was chosen. Unlike quantitative research there are no fixed set of questions but, instead, a topic guide (or discussion guide) is used to explore various issues in-depth. The discussion between the interviewer (or moderator) and the respondent is largely determined by the respondents’ own thoughts and feelings. As with quantitative techniques, there are also various types of qualitative methodologies. Research of this sort is mostly done face-to-face. One of the best-known techniques is market research group discussions (or focus groups). These are usually made up of 6 to 8 targeted respondents, a research moderator whose role is to ask the required questions, draw out answers, and encourage discussion, and an observation area usually behind one way mirrors, and video and/or audio taping facilities. In addition, qualitative research can also be conducted on a ‘one on one’ basis i. e. an in-depth interview with a trained executive interviewer and one respondent, a paired depth (two respondents), a triad (three respondents) and a mini group discussion (4-5 respondents). Advertising and Marketing Research [2] Market Research is the key factor to get advantage over competitors. Market research provides important information to identify and analyze the market need, market size and competition. Market research,as defined by the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research, includes social and opinion research, [and] is the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals or organizations using statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support decision making. [3] Market Research is a systematic, objective collection and analysis of data about a particular target market, competition, and/or environment. It always incorporates some form of data collection whether it be secondary research (often referred to as desk research) or primary research which is collected direct from a respondent. The purpose of any market research project is to achieve an increased understanding of the subject matter. With markets throughout the world becoming increasingly more competitive, market research is now on the agenda of many organisations, whether they be large or small. The Market Research Process To conduct market research, organisations may decide to undertake the project themselves (some through a marketing research department) or they might choose to commission it via a market research agency or consultancy. Whichever, before undertaking any research project, it is crucial to define the research objectives i. e. what are you trying to achieve from the research? and what do you need to know? After considering the objectives, Market Researchers can utilise many types of research techniques and methodologies to capture the data that they require. All of the available methodologies either collect quantitative or qualitative information. The use of each very much depends on the research objectives but many believe that results are most useful when the two methods are combined. Quantitative Research Quantitative research is numerically oriented, requires significant attention to the measurement of market phenomena and often involves statistical analysis. For example, a bank might ask its customers to rate its overall service as either excellent, good, poor or very poor. This will provide quantitative information that can be analysed statistically. The main rule with quantitative research is that every respondent is asked the same series of questions. The approach is very structured and normally involves large numbers of interviews/questionnaires. Perhaps the most common quantitative technique is the ‘market research survey’. These are basically projects that involve the collection of data from multiple cases – such as consumers or a set of products. Quantitative surveys can be conducted by using post (self-completion), face-to-face (in-street or in-home), telephone, email or web techniques. The questionnaire is one of the more common tools for collecting data from a survey, but it is only one of a wide ranging set of data collection aids. Qualitative Research Qualitative research provides an understanding of how or why things are as they are. For example, a Market Researcher may stop a consumer who has purchased a particular type of bread and ask him or her why that type of bread was chosen. Unlike quantitative research there are no fixed set of questions but, instead, a topic guide (or discussion guide) is used to explore various issues in-depth. The discussion between the interviewer (or moderator) and the respondent is largely determined by the respondents’ own thoughts and feelings. As with quantitative techniques, there are also various types of qualitative methodologies. Research of this sort is mostly done face-to-face. One of the best-known techniques is market research group discussions (or focus groups). These are usually made up of 6 to 8 targeted respondents, a research moderator whose role is to ask the required questions, draw out answers, and encourage discussion, and an observation area usually behind one way mirrors, and video and/or audio taping facilities. In addition, qualitative research can also be conducted on a ‘one on one’ basis i. e. an in-depth interview with a trained executive interviewer and one respondent, a paired depth (two respondents), a triad (three respondents) and a mini group discussion (4-5 respondents).

Pros of Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pros of Gay Marriage - Essay Example Being gay should not be a basis of discrimination, stigmatization or even denial of human rights of a person. Character of a person determines who he or she is and not his or her sexual orientation. Different arguments have been put forth by opponents of gay or same sex marriages in different parts of the world. Religion is the most used argument by opponents of gay marriages. According to beliefs ascribed by different religions, gay marriage amounts to immorality and sin to the deity. In this light, homosexuality is sin and morally wrong hence requires to be illegalized (Chauncey). Another argument put forward by opponents of gay marriages is that, marriage is supposed to lead to procreation so as to ensure continuity of life and family, however if same sex marriages were to be legalized, this would lead to a decrease in the number of children being born in the world. Traditionally, marriage has been defined as the union between a man and a woman. Inclusion or legalization of gay ma rriages would require a re-definition of marriage to include same sex marriages. The same would also be expected or included in the school curriculum forcing teachers to teach homosexuality in schools. This may lead to confusion concerning gender identity especially in young people (Sprigg). However, when viewed from other perspectives, gay marriage appears to be a natural part of human evolution.